This document provides a guide to companion planting, listing various vegetables, herbs, and other plants alongside the plants that they help, harm, or are helped by. It discusses how certain plants repel pests from or attract beneficial insects to other plants. For example, it notes that alliums like garlic and onions repel cabbage worms and attract predatory wasps, while beans provide nitrogen for carrots and attract parasitic wasps to protect other plants. The guide is intended to inform gardeners on compatible plant pairings and relationships between different species in the garden.

1. Companion planting guide - The Gardeners Calendar http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/compani...
TheGardenersCalendar.co.uk - Gardening techniques and advice for Vegetable Growers | rss button RSS NEWS FEED
signup now for our FREE e-newsletter for advice and exclusive competitions -
1 of 8 21-3-2012 23:12

2. Companion planting guide - The Gardeners Calendar http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/compani...
Back to companion planting
Vegetables
Common scientific Repels /
Helps Helped by Attracts Avoid Comments
name name Distracts
Alliums Allium fruit trees, carrots slugs, aphids, beans, peas, Alliums include onions, garlic, leeks, shallots,
nightshades carrot fly, parsley chives, and others
(tomatoes, cabbage
peppers, potatoes, worms
etc), brassicas
(cabbage, broccoli,
kohlrabi, etc)
carrots
Asparagus Asparagus Tomatoes Aster Family flowers, Dill Onion, Garlic, Marigolds will deter beetles.
officinalis ,Coriander, Tomatoes, Potatoes
Parsley, Basil, Comfrey,
Marigolds
Brassicas Brassica geraniums, dill, alliums mustards, Brassicas are a family of species which
(onions, shallots, garlic, nightshades include broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts,
etc), rosemary, (tomatoes, kholrabi, and cauliflower.
nasturtium, borage peppers, etc)
Beans, Phaseolus Corn (see Three Eggplant, Summer California Tomatoes, chili Hosts nitrogen-fixing bacteria, a good fertilizer for
Sisters), Spinach, savory beetles peppers, some plants, too much for others
lettuce, rosemary, sunflowers,
summer savory, dill, alliums (onions,
carrots, brassicas, garlic, etc), kales
beets, radish, (cabbage,
strawberry and broccoli, etc)
cucumbers
Beets, Beta Vulgaris lettuce, kohlrabi, Catnip, Garlic, Mint Runner or pole Good for adding minerals to the soil through
onions and beans composting leafs which have up to 25%
brassicas magnesium. Runner or pole beans and beets
stunt each other's growth.
Broccoli Brassica oleracea geraniums, dill, alliums, mustards, Rosemary repels cabbage fly, geraniums trap
rosemary, nasturtium, Tomatoes, cabbage worms, same general companion profile
borage peppers as all brassica (cabbage, kolhrabi, brussels
sprouts, cauliflower, etc)
Cabbage Brassica oleracea geraniums, dill, alliums, mustards, Rosemary repels cabbage flies, geraniums trap
rosemary Tomatoes, cabbage worms, same general companion profile
peppers as all brassica (cabbage, kolhrabi, brussels
strawberries, sprouts, cauliflower, etc)
and pole/runner
beans
Carrots Daucus carota Tomatoes, Alliums alliums (leeks, shallots, assassin bug, Dill, parsnip, Tomatoes grow better with carrots, but may stunt
(onions, chives, etc), rosemary, lacewing, radish the carrots' growth. Beans (which are bad for
etc), lettuce wormwood, sage, beans, parasitic wasp, tomatoes) provide the nitrogen carrots need more
flax yellow jacket than some other vegetables. Aromatic companion
and other plants repel carrot fly. Sage, rosemary, and
predatory radishes are recommended by some as
wasps companion plants, but listed by others as
incompatible. alliums interplanted with carrots
confuse onion and carrot flies. For the beneficial
insect-attracting properties of carrots to work, they
need to be allowed to flower; Otherwise, use the
wild carrot, Queen Anne's Lace, for the same
effect. Flax produces an oil that may protect root
vegetables like carrots from some pests.
2 of 8 21-3-2012 23:12

3. Companion planting guide - The Gardeners Calendar http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/compani...
Celery, Apium graveolens Cosmos, Daisies, corn, Aster
Snapdragons flowers, these
can transmit the
aster yellows
disease
Corn / Maize Zea mays beans Sunflowers, legumes Tomato, Celery provides beans with a trellis, is protected from
(beans, peas, soybeans predators and dryness by cucurbits, in the three
etc), peanuts, curcubits sisters technique
(squash, cucumbers,
melons, etc), amaranth,
white geranium, lamb's
quarters, morning glory,
parsley, and potato
Cucumber Cucumis Sativus Nasturtiums, radishes, Beneficial for Tomato, Sage
marigolds, sunflowers ground beetles
peas, beets, carrots, and
Dill
Common scientific Helps Helped by Attracts Repels / Avoid Comments
name name Distracts
Eggplant Solanum Beans, Marigolds, Runner Marigolds will deter nematodes.
melongena Peppers tarragon, mints beans
Leek Allium Celery, apple trees carrots cabbage Legumes Same companion traits as all alliums (onions,
ampeloprasum v. worms, (beans, peas, garlic, shallots, chives, etc)
porrum aphids, carrot etc)
fly, others
Lettuce Lactuca sativa Radish, Kohlrabi, beans, celery, cabbage, Mints (including hyssop, sage, and various
carrots cress, parsley "balms") repel slugs, a bane of lettuce and
cabbages
Mustard Brassicaceae, Cabbage, various pests same general companion profile as all brassica
Sinapis alba cauliflower, radish, (cabbage, kolhrabi, brussels sprouts, cauliflower,
brussels sprouts, etc)
turnips
Nightshades Solanaceae carrots, alliums, mints beans, black Nightshade plants include tomatoes, tobacco,
(basil, oregano, etc) walnuts, corn, chili peppers (including bell peppers),
fennel, dill, potatoes, eggplant, and others
brassica
(broccoli,
cabbage,
cauliflower, etc)
Peppers Solanaceae, themselves, tomatoes, geraniums, beans, kale Pepper plants like high humidity, which can be
Capsicum marjoram petunias (cabbage, helped along by planting with some kind of
brussels dense-leaf or ground-cover companion, like
sprouts, etc) majoram and basil; they also need direct sunlight,
but their fruit can be harmed by it...pepper plants
grown together, or with tomatoes, can shelter the
fruit from sunlight, and raises the humidity level.
Onion Allium cepa Tomatoes, Kales Carrots aphids, carrot beans, peas, Same companion traits as all other alliums
(broccoli, cabbage, fly, other pests parsley (chives, garlic, shallots, leeks, etc)
etc)
Potato Solanum Horseradish Sunflower, horseradish increases the disease resistance of
tuberosum Tomato, potatoes
Cucumber
Pumpkin Curcurbita spp corn, beans Buckwheat, catnip, tansy, Spiders, Flea Beetles are warded off by radishes,
Squash radishes Ground Beetles Curcurbita can be used in the three sisters
technique
Spinach Spinacia oleracea Peas, Beans The peas and beans provide natural shade for the
spinach
Tomatoes Solanum roses, peppers, basil, oregano, parsley, asparagus Black walnut, Black walnuts inhibit tomato growth, in fact they
lycopersicum asparagus carrots, marigold, beetle corn, fennel, are allelopathic to all other nightshade plants (chili
Alliums, celery, peas, dill, pepper, potato, tobacco, petunia) as well, because
Geraniums, Petunias, potatoes, it produces a chemical called juglone.
Nasturtium, Borage beetroot, kales
(kohlrabi,
cabbage, etc),
rosemary
Back to companion planting
3 of 8 21-3-2012 23:12

4. Companion planting guide - The Gardeners Calendar http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/compani...
Herbs
Common scientific
Helps Helped by Attracts Repels / Distracts Avoid Comments
name name
Basil Ocimum tomato, chamomile, butterflies asparagus beetle, common is said to
basilicum peppers, anise mosquitoes and rue, sage make
oregano, flies tomatoes
asparagus, taste better,
petunias chamomile
and anise are
supposed to
increase the
essential oils
in many
herbs like
basil
Borage Borago Almost Predatory many pests Borage is the
officinalis everything, insects, magic bullet
especially honeybees of
strawberry, companion
cucurbits plants
(cucumber,
gourds),
tomatoes
Caraway Carum carvi Strawberries Parasitic
wasps,
parasitic
flies
Chamomile Matricaria Basil, Hoverflies, Growing
recutita Wheat, wasps near herbs
Onion, will
Cabbage, increase
Cucumber their oil
production.
Chervil Anthriscus Radish, aphids loves shade,
cerefolium lettuce, fortunately it
broccoli grows well
with shade-
tolerant food
plants; will
make
radishes
grown near it
taste spicier
Cilantro / Coriandrum spinach beans, tachinid fly aphids
Coriander sativum peas
chives Allium Apples, carrots cabbage worms, beans, Same
schoenoprasum carrots, carrot fly, aphids peas companion
tomatoes, traits as all
brassica alliums
(broccoli, (onions,
cabbage, garlic,
mustard, shallots,
etc), many leeks,
others etc)said to
prevent apple
scab after 3
years
planting at
base of
apple trees
Dill Anethum Cabbages, Hoverflies, Aphids, spider carrots, one of the
graveolens Corn, Wasps, mites, squash bugs, tomatoes few plants
Lettuce, Tomato cabbage looper said to grow
Onions, Horn with fennel
Cucumbers Worms,
honeybees,
Ichneumonid
Wasps
4 of 8 21-3-2012 23:12

5. Companion planting guide - The Gardeners Calendar http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/compani...
Fennel Foeniculum Dill Dill ladybugs, aphids Almost Fennel is
vulgare syrphid fly, everything allelopathic
tachinid fly to most
garden
plants,
inhibiting
growth,
causing to
bolt, or
actually killing
many plants
Garlic Allium sativum Apple trees, Aphids, cabbage Deters
Pear trees, looper, ants, rabbits, rabbits,
Roses, cabbage maggot same
Cucumbers, companion
Peas, traits as all
Lettuce, alliums
Celery (onions,
chives,
shallots,
leeks, etc)
Hemp Cannabis sativa Brassica Repels many
L. subsp. sativa (cabbage, types of
brussels beetles which
sprouts, attack
other kales) cabbages.
Hyssop Hyssopus Cabbage, honeybees, Cabbage moth Stimulates
officinalis grapes butterflies larvae, Cabbage growth of
Butterflies grapes.
Lovage Levisticum Almost all beans Ichneumonid rhubarb Is thought to
officinale plants Wasps, improve the
ground health of
beetles almost all
(good) plants, like
borage and
geraniums, is
considered a
"magic bullet"
of
companion
planting
Oregano Origanum Tomatoes, basil aphids provides
vulgare peppers, ground cover
many other and
plants much-needed
humidity for
pepper plants
if allowed to
spread
among them
Peppermint Mentha piperita Brassica cabbage fly, ants, Repels
(cabbage, cabbage looper cabbage
kholrabi, flies, has
broccoli, same general
and the companion
other kales) properties as
other mints
Rosemary Rosmarinus sage, bean beetle Deters
officinalis cabbage, cabbage
beans, flies, repels
carrots many bean
parasites
Sage Salvia rosemary, honeybees, cabbage flies, Deters
officinalis cabbage, cabbage carrot fly, black flea cabbage
beans, butterfly beetle, cabbage flies, repels
carrots looper, cabbage many bean
maggot parasites
5 of 8 21-3-2012 23:12

6. Companion planting guide - The Gardeners Calendar http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/compani...
Southernw ood Artemisia Fruit trees Controls
abrotanum cabbage
moths and
malaria
mosquitoes.
Spearmint Mentha spicata ants, aphids Controls ants
and aphids,
has same
general
companion
properties as
other mints.
Summer Satureja Green also delays
Savoury hortensis beans, germination
onions, of certain
foul herbs
Tansy Tanacetum beans, honeybees flying Is reputed to
vulgare cucurbits insects(Ichneumonid generally
(cucumbers, Wasps), Japanese repel insects
squash, beetles, striped (except for
etc), corn, cucumber beetles, nectar-eating
roses squash bugs and types). This
ants herb should
not be
consumed,
as it is quite
toxic.
Back to companion planting
Flowers
Common Helped Repels /
Latin Name Helps Attracts Avoid Comments
Name by Distracts
Geraniums Pelargonium Roses, leafhoppers, A trap crop, attracting
spp. tomatoes, Japanese pests away from roses
peppers, beetles and grape vines, distracts
grapes beet leafhoppers, carrier
of the curly top virus, away
from Solanaceous plants
like tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant, and tobacco
Marigold Asteraceae most plants, nematodes, Marigolds are a
Calendula especially beet leaf wonder-drug of the
officinalis tomatoes and hoppers, companion plant world,
peppers, other pests invoking the saying "plant
cucurbits them everywhere in your
(cucumbers, garden". French marigolds
gourds, produce a pesticidal
squash), chemical from their roots,
brassicas so strong it lasts years
(broccoli, kale, after they are gone.
cabbage) Mexican marigolds do the
same, but are so strong
they will inhibit the growth
of some more tender
herbs. Certain Varieties of
marigolds (Tagetes) can
help manage eelworms
(Root-knot nematode)
when planted the year
before[1].
Petunia Petunia x cucurbits leafhoppers, Is a trap crop almost
hybrida (squash, Japanese identical to geraniums in
pumpkins, beetles, function
cucumbers), aphids,
asparagus asparagus
beetle
Nasturtium Tropaeolum Many plants, predatory aphids, radish, Both work as trap crops
majus especially insects cabbage cauliflower for aphids, is among the
cucurbits looper, best at attracting predatory
6 of 8 21-3-2012 23:12

7. Companion planting guide - The Gardeners Calendar http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/compani...
(melons, squash bug, insects
cucumbers, white fly,
gourds), beans, cucumber
tomatoes, beetles
apple trees,
brassicas
(broccoli,
cabbage, etc),
radish
Sunflow er Helianthus corn, tomatoes aphids Was grown as a
annuus companion for
corn(maize) before
modern Europeans arrived
in the Americas,
supposedly increases their
production, ants herd
aphids onto sunflowers,
keeping them off
neighboring plants
Tansy Tanacetum cucurbits sugar ants, Toxic to many animals,
vulgare (cucumbers, Japanese don't plant it where
squash, etc), beetles, livestock browse
raspberries and cucumber
relatives, roses, beetles,
corn squash bugs,
mice
Yarrow Achillea many plants predatory May increase the essential
millefolium wasps, oil production of some
ladybugs, herbs. Also improves soil
hoverflies, quality, use the leaves to
damselbugs enrich compost, or as
mulch.
Back to companion planting
7 of 8 21-3-2012 23:12

8. Companion planting guide - The Gardeners Calendar http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/compani...
Web The Gardeners Calendar
Home | News | Guides | Events | Plant Directory | Moon Planting | Social Network | Privacy Policy | Our Ethics
© 2012 The Gardeners Calendar
Vegetable garden guides and tips for gardeners of all ages and experience
8 of 8 21-3-2012 23:12